Firearm



July 14, 19236. c. c. LooMls FIREARM Filed May 18, 1955 INVENTOR. C RAWFORD (lLooMrs A TTORNEY Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIREARM of Delaware application May 1s, 1933, Yserial No. @1,626

4 Claims.

This invention relates to firearms, and contemplates certain improvements in sear control and particularly in safety mechanisms.

The invention has been illustrated as applied to a firearm of the type disclosed in the patent to Loomis, No. 1,900,184, March 7, 1933; although it is to be understood that its utility is not limited to firearms of this particular type. Said patent describes a firearm of the upward tilting breech type in which an assembly of one or more barrels is pivoted on a horizontal pivot near the forward end of a breech mechanism frame, and upon the release of certain locking devices normally swings upwardly relative to said frame to open the' breech. Guns of this type may include one, two or three barrels, and in the two barrel type the barrels may be arranged either side-by-side or one above the other. A shiftable safety device is usually provided, serving when in one position to blockthe ring move'- ment of the sear or trigger or both. Such a safety device is ordinarily under the control of a finger piece projecting upwardly throughv the tang or top plate of the frame. There may be three positions for such a device, one' safe positionand tworing positions. The arrangement may besuch that the unlocking or openingv movement of the breech will automatically move the safety device from one of its ring positions to safe` position, while, if the safety device has been manually placed in the second firing position'` itis not affected by the unlocking or opening of the breech'. The safety controlling finger piece is usuallyV arranged to move longitudinally ofthe firearm, and the position in which? it is not affectedv by the unlocking or opening of the breech. is its rearmost position.

It4 has been shown that safety mechanisms of thisI type' are subject to the defect that the recoil of th'egun incident to firing may shift them from their' rearmost position to their intermediate safe position. Such movement occurs irregularly and without the knowledge of the shooter and becomes a source ofl confusion and annoyance, particularly in double gunsin which` ai quick firing of the second' barrel may be desirable.

It is an= object of the present invention to provide a safety device which is positively latched in'V the position to which it is adjusted by a latchingf. device which must be moved in a direction different from the directionof movementof the'safety devicel inorder to permit shifting: of the safety device.

A further objectof the invention is to provide (Cl. L12--41) a positively latched safety device requiring movement of the latching means as a preliminary incident to any movement of the safety device itself.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the safety latch control that the operator, in preparing to shift the safety in the usual way, will shift and disable the latch substantially involuntarily.

A further object of the invention is to provide meansA associated with the unlocking` or opening of the breech for rst disabling the safety device latch and subsequently moving the safety device to render the gun safe.

'I'he invention further contemplates, certain improvements in the control of sear mechanisms, aswill hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawing: y 1

Fig.- l is a fragmentary, longitudinal elevation, partly in section, of a fire control mechanism including one embodimen-t of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the safety mechanism latch and afragment of the safety slide. A

Inthe firearm illustrated in the drawing 'the fire control mechanism is supported in a frame comprisingl a lower member or trigger plate I' and a' top member or tang H connected by and preferably integral with a post t2;

One-train of mechanism only will be described, it being understood that in double guns such parts as firing hammers, sears, etc., may be duplicated. g

The firing hammer I3,sear I 4, and trigger l5, are all supported on the trigger plate or parts directly connected therewith. The sear Hl is preferably pivoted at I6 between Sear housing plates" il suitably secured to the trigger plate. A single trigger mechanism of a suitable type such for example as that disclosed inl the prior copending application of' Loomis, Serial No.'616,234,

filede June 9, 1932, may be provided. Such a mechanism comprises a connector lf pivcted to the trigger and designed to oscillate from one to' the other of the two sears i4 under the`control of actuators I9 cooperating Withlthe hammers I3 and other devices more yfully described in said Loomis application.

The breech mechanism is locked by a locking bolt inthe form of a'sliding 'breechi cover 20,

which cover isv retracted yto unlock the breech by manipulation of a top lever 2l pivoted to the tang H at 22 and connected with the'breech.y

cover at 23. A safety operating plunger 24 is :connected to the top lever at 25, and the top lever is Urgedto breech closing position by meansof a spring 26 preferably rcoiled about the safety' f operating plunger 24 and abutting a lug or post 21 dependingfrom the tang.y

One feature of the present invention includes ythe control of the scar i4 by a spring so applied thereto as to exert yits force inthe directionV of movement of the hammer engaging portion of v the sear. Such aspring is shown at 28 surrounding a spring pilot 29, which pilot isengaged with the sear at a point ysubstantially opposite the hammer engaging nose 33. The opposite end of the spring pilot 29 is received in van aperture 3l in the lug 21, which'lug also furnishes an abutment for the spring 28.

movement of ther hammer engaging portion thereof. By the mechanism above described thesear is pressed directly toward the hammer, rwith improved functioningas well as simplificationof the mechanism.

' ing stud 35'onthetailiof thesear.

yThe safety mechanism comprises a safety bar 32 having in its lowerendY an elongated slot 33 which embraces the sear pivot i6. A lug 34 ron the safety bar 32 cooperates with alaterally extendkSaid lug may occupy a position in vfront'ofthe stud 35, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or apo'sition in rear of `said stud, in either of which positions the sear is free to 'executeits hammer releasing movement.

Y adepending projection or foot 38 having a forward extension 33 which is pivotally connected at 40 to a fork-4l-42 integral with the bar 32. Above the tang H is a safety operating ringer piece 43 rigid or integral with the safety slide Said piece is'of sufficient length and width to cover the slot 31 in any of its positions. Its forward portion may comprise an aperture 44 through which the legend Safe on the tang insert 45 is visible when the safety mechanism is in safe position. The finger engaging portion thereof is preferably concave to provide for easy movement in either direction without shifting the position of the nger. It will be seen that the finger piece 43 and safety slide 36 may occupy any one of three positions corresponding to the three positions of the safety bar 32 heretofore described.

It will be seen that all parts of the safety mechanism as thus far described move in a direction longitudinal to the frame of the gun. If the safety mechanism is in its rearmost firing position the recoil of the gun upon firing may throw the gun frame rearwardly with respect to the safety mechanism, said mechanism being at this time as at all times free to move relative to the frame, with the result that such firing leaves the sear I4 locked, and the finger piece 43 Hitherto, sear springs f have been associated with the triggerr plate and, while tending to rock the sear about itspivot, have not acted upon the 'sear in the direction of v Y shoulder 51.

. mustbe manually shifted before a second firing' can take place,

vble rto this type of malfunctioning, inasmuchv as' the sear-whi'chis actuated to release one ofthe Single trigger guns are particularly suscepti` hammers is freed from the trigger immediately upon the fall of its hammer and returns to its ,hammer engagingy position, leaving kthe safety e barand connected parts entirely free for movement.v To obviate this difficulty, and for reasons of general safety, the present invention conteml plates a safety latching mechanism, one form of which has been illustrated in the drawing and is described as follows: f f

'Ihe safety slide; 36 is provided with a vertical shouldered aperture and within this. aperture is placed a latch plunger 46. Said yplunger yis urged upwardly by a spring 41 interposed between the f shoulder 48 of the aperturek and a shoulder 49 onthe plunger.i yThe upper end of the plunger is formed vas or'has secured rtheretoan operating head or ringer piece 53, which projects into the concavity of the safety finger piece 43 in position to be substantially automatically depressed when the gun operator engages the finger piece 43 for the purpose of shiftingit.y VBelow the tang I i the latch plunger 46 is securedv to orenlarged to form oneelement of a `locking device, comprising upf wardly facingelements cooperating with counterpart elements onvthe underside of tang li. The locking device maytake various forms. As illus-r trated in the drawing kit comprises a crosshead 5l secured to plunger 46coznprising one or more beveled lugs 52 which cooperatewith notches 53 formedon the underside ofthe tang or on a plate secured to ythe tang. vTo secure the accurate ,Y guiding of plunger 46 which is desirable for easy manipulation ysaid plunger maybe extended downwardly and its lower yend received in ay suit-` able aperture 54 (Fig.e3) in the extension 3S!y of thesafetyslide footk38. yItwill be seen that by reason of the engagement of the lugs 52 with notches 53 the safety mechanism is positively latched in one of itsrthree positions and cannot be displaced from this position without lowering the lugs out of the notches. The necessary depression of'the lugs may be effected by manually depressing the head or finger piece 50, or by a second means which will now be described.

It is desirable that provision be made for the movement of the safetymechanism from its foremost firing position to safe position upon the unlocking of the breech. This necessitates rst moving the latch device downward to disengage the lugs 52 Vfrom notches 53 and subsequently shifting the safety mechanism rearwardly. The means for securing this result are as follows:

ASecured to the latch assembly 46-5l is a block 55 comprising Ya forwardly and downwardly inclined cam surface 56 and adjacent; to and above 60 said cam surface a'vertically disposed face or Upon the rear end of the safety operating plunger 24 (actuated by the top lever 2l) is an inclined face 58 and above said face a square shoulder 59. The positioning of these parts is such that, upon the breech opening movement of the top lever 2l and the consequent rearward thrust of plunger'24, the inclined face 58 of the plunger engages the cam surface 56 of the latch assembly and draws the latch downward to' disengage lugs 52 from notches 53. To prevent distortion or undue strain upon the latch during this camming movement, a rearward face 60 on block 55 is made to engage and slide upon'a forward face BI of the safety slde'foot 38.V In'the continued rearward thrust of plunger 24, the latch having been disengaged, shoulder 59 of the plunger engages the shoulder 51 and thrusts the safety mechanism rearwardly to its intermediate or safe position. When the gun is closed and top lever 2| restored to its normal position, plunger 24 moves forward, permitting the latch assembly to rise, bringing lug 52 into the intermediate notch 53.

It should be noted that the gun is automatically rendered safe by opening the breech only when the safety mechanism is in its forward firing position. When the safety mechanism has been placed in its rearmost firing position by depressing the latch finger piece 50 and drawing the finger piece 43 to the rear, it is not aected by opening the breech. Moreover, since displacement of the safety mechanism from any position to which it has been set requires distinct and separate movement in each of two directions it cannot be effected by the jar due to recoil or to any accident.

The embodiment of the invention herein described is illustrative only, the invention being susceptible to various modifications, all falling within the scope of the app-ended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a firearm, in combination, a frame, a breech locking mechanism, a safety mechanism comprising a member slidably mounted in said frame, a latch movably mounted in and normally positively holding said member in any of a plurality of positions, a manipulative device for disabling said latch, a bar adapted to' be displaced by said breech locking mechanism, and cooperating cam surfaces on said bar and said latch whereby upon the unlocking movement of said breech locking mechanism said latch is first displaced and said slidable member subsequently shifted.

2. In a firearm, 4in combination, a frame comprising a tang and a trigger plate, a retractable breech locking mechanism comprising a spring, an abutment for said spring on said tang, a scar supported from said trigger plate, and a sear spring interposed between said trigger plate and said abutment.

3. In a firearm, in combination, a frame comprising a tang and a trigger plate, a spring abutment on said tang, a sear supported from said trigger plate, and a sear spring interposed between said trigger plate and said abutment.

4. In a firearm, in combination, a frame having a plurality of locking notches, a retractable breech locking device, a cam associated with said device, a sear, a safety bar adjustable into and out of locking relation with said scar, a safety 20 slide comprising a concave finger piece in said frame, a foot on said safety slide having a pivoted connection with said safety bar, a latch for said slide comprising a plunger slidably mounted therein, a head on said plunger extending into the concave of said finger piece; and a foot on said plunger guided by the foot on said slide, said plunger foot comprising a cam surface cooperating with said breech locking device cam and a locking projection cooperating with the locking 

